May 11, 2017
|By aissagallie
|
Across Foundation our staff and customers engage in issues around mental health on a day to day basis. This week is Mental Health Awareness Week (MHAW). It gives an opportunity to take the subject out of the day-to-day and take a closer look. Working with young people in Harrogate, the Progress Group have embraced a chance to explore Mental Health with their customers and will launch a 6 week program looking at stress and anxiety during MHAW. Customers can join the group sessions, which will be held in a quiet room away from the main activities area and will receive a certificate on completion of the program.
Over the 6 weeks they will look at the following topics:
Week 1: What is anxiety?
Week2: How can I reduce my anxiety?
Week 3: Problem Solving
Week 4: Relaxation
Week 5: Reducing Avoidance
Week 6: Putting it all together and certificate presentation.
The fantastic staff and customers from Progress, celebrating the launch of the North Yorkshire Young People’s Pathway
To help raise awareness of the program, customers have been invited to join some one-off workshops. One of these workshops was inspired by the subject of TIME and how it impacts on mental health.
Customers and staff looked over the following article:
“As part of mental health awareness week I would like to share with you all how I have spent my time in a positive way to not only look after my own wellbeing but also that of others. I believe in living a simple, happy life doing the things that I enjoy most. Wellbeing to me is all about balance and how this can help us to live a fulfilled life despite the up’s and down’s that many of us face each and every day”
https://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/publications/surviving-or-thriving-state-uks-mental-health
They then explored the use of time in their language and identified some positive and negative ways that we use the language of time to describe our mental health. Here is a summary of what the customers shared at the workshop:
Positive use of time …
“Got up on time, feeling good, got more energy, turned up on time”
“I gave myself more time to plan my day”
“I learnt to say NO to others in a positive way to balance and manage my own time”
“I caught the bus on time and was on time for my appointment”
“Attending the drop-in is a positive way I spend my time”
“I volunteer my time to help others”
“I set off earlier and arrived on time”
Positive words used to describe how time can effect thoughts and feelings …
Great, organised, happy, energetic, positive outlook, kinder to others, good mood, helpful, brighter future, hope, enthusiastic, determination, stronger, self-worth, full of life.
Negative use of time …
“I didn’t wake up on time, missed the bus, late for my appointment, got sanctioned”
“I was not given enough time to plan and felt rushed despite my planning and preparation”
“I feel stressed when I turn up on time and have to wait for others who are running late”
“I can feel anxious and low mood when I don’t make positive use of my time”
“I don’t always feel listened to, like people haven’t got time”
Negative words used to describe how time can affect thoughts and feelings …
Miserable, low mood, unkind to others, negative thinking, destructive behaviour, unhappy, low energy, bad mood, unorganised, lack of energy, demotivated.
Well done to our Harrogate Progress team for supporting your young people to engage a in such pro-active view of their mental health. We hope your program goes very well and look forward to hearing more about it!